General

Cactus Wren: Large wren with black-and-white streaked reddish-brown back, dark crown with distinctive white stripe over eyes, white chin, and heavily spotted white underparts with buff wash on sides and belly. Wings and tail are dark with white bars. Bill is long and slightly decurved. Sexes are similar. Juvenile has fewer and paler breast spots and shorter tail.

Range and Habitat

Cactus Wren: Resident of arid and semi-arid regions in the southwest U.S. and central Mexico. Preferred habitats include deserts dominated by cholla and other succulent cacti, spiny trees, and shrubs, with high temperatures, low humidity, and scarce water.

Breeding and Nesting

Cactus Wren: Two to seven pink eggs, flecked with brown, are laid in a nest made of rootlets, grass, and various stems, lined with feathers, hair and fur, and built in a rock ridge, crevice, burrow, bank, or building. Incubation ranges from 12 to 14 days and is carried out by the female.

Foraging and Feeding

Cactus Wren: Eats insects, including ants, beetles, grasshoppers, and wasps; occasionally takes seeds and fruits. Forages by searching under leaves and ground litter; also hunts in bushes and trees.

Readily Eats

Apple Slices, Peanut Butter

Vocalization

Cactus Wren: Song is a quick low guttural "guah guah guah guah guah", gaining in speed toward the end. Call consists of a rapid buzz of varying intensity.

Similar Species

Cactus Wren: Sage Thrasher is grayer, has plain bars on wings and back, brown-streaked underparts, spots are not clustered on breast, has white on tail corners only, and shorter almost straight bill.